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* Mark Richt was fired up about the recruits who showed up to UM this weekend. Some of them may play for him one day.

But the former Hurricanes — from Ed Reed to Jonathan Vilma to Vince Wilfork to Michael Irvin — made him just as happy.

“It just does my heart good to see the former players love this place so much that they’ll do that. It’s a who’s-who. Like I said before, if I just invited everyone that was an All-American or national champion or Pro Football Hall of Famer, we’d fill up the room. I’m trying to spread it out, year-by-year. I’m not gonna ask them every year to come. But I think they would.”

* Antrel Rolle, speaking about the defensive backs on UM’s roster, said the group has “a lot of phenomenal talent, a lot of athleticism,” but he’s mostly excited about their attitudes.

“I see something in them,” Rolle said. “It’s a different mentality that they have. It’s a different look at they have. Before I had to feel the guys were just too anxious here. They were just too anxious to try to get to the next level. Right now I’m not so much seeing that. I’m seeing the guys are really anxious to get back to winning and that’s what it’s all about. If you win everything takes care of itself.”

* Michael Irvin, like many of the former players, was ready to boast about his school.

“Those college towns, you’re not going to live there,” he said. You dominate at Miami? You own Miami? We’re not talking about some ‘Too-kaa-loo’ [Tuscaloosa] somewhere. There’s no greater place to own. If you dominate here, you own the world.”

Richt, in different words, agreed.

“Five national championships within a 20-year period is just really unprecedented. The kids know it can happen again,” he said. “That’s what we’re selling. I believe that’s true.

“We’re trying to win, and win big. It’s hard to even match what’s been done in the past. But we’re trying to get after it as best we can.”

* Richt expressed delight about a new NCAA rule, which takes affect Aug. 1, that will let former players mingle with recruits on official and unofficial visits and at games. “They love to be around these guys that are hoping to do exactly what they’ve done,” Richt said.

* Richt on the backflip: “I’m thinking maybe, maybe, something different a year from now. It’s kind of predictable. I might be asking for trouble if I try and do something a little more athletic. … I landed on my feet. It was good.”

[…] the ACC Kickoff — swag is winning and winning big — Richt used it as a prompt to talk Paradise Camp. Having Ed Reed and Michael Irvin giving speeches to recruits qualifies as embracing the past, […]